The Treasure Hunt

First: falling under the category of it's “better to be lucky than good” … I appeared in court this morning representing myself in a case that was “Contrary to the form of the: 9-21-3-7 – DISREGARD LIGHTED SIGNAL – SIGNALS EXHIBITING C.” In non legal-speak, an Indiana state trooper accused me of running a red light. Imagine that (:

I suppose because I drive a lot... I have been stopped a lot also. I am (almost) unfailingly polite: this time with the trooper I was less so than usual and instead of a warning I was given a ticket. Though I didn't actually argue with him, I was argumentative.

He asked me why I ignored the red-light? I told him that I didn't. He asked me why the driver in the red car that was beside me had stopped? I told him that there wasn't any way I could speak for that other driver. He then asked me why did I think he had stopped me if I had done nothing wrong? I told him I had no idea, and then I said that I didn't even know for sure if it was true... but I have heard that there are quotas? Then I smiled at him.

That last statement and me grinning pretty much made certain I was getting a ticket. After he returned and handed me my citation I wanted to be sure that he didn't really have the last say in the matter by citing me. So, as he started to walk away I leaned my head out and said, “Sir” … then I asked him what I needed to do if I was going to deny that I ran the light? Without breaking stride or turning around he called out that all of that information was on my citation. I then grinned again because I knew I had gotten to him, and he was now mad (:

The best way I knew how I prepared to appear in court. I used the stop watch that is on my phone and (several different times) I clocked how long the yellow light held at that intersection on Veteran's Parkway. I wanted to make certain it was within the guidelines for an intersection with a 30 mph... it was ): I also made a copy of my time card at work to show I was on time, even after having to sit and wait on my ticket. I didn't want the cop to be able to say that maybe I was in a hurry trying to get to work? I also printed out a page from the BMV handbook showing that it is legal to proceed through a yellow light. And I even copied an On line article showing that it is a common ploy for troopers to sit at corners and write tickets to people who are legally driving through yellow lights: but cops are ticketing them for running red lights and this is being done to increase state revenue.

So, I was rewarded this morning and still believe it really is better to be lucky than good as my case was dismissed!!! Yay! No fine, nothing... as if it never even happened. In court I was also told to have a “Merry Christmas” and I wished him the same. So, all-in-all it was a fun morning for me (: and knowing I am off work for a couple of days is making this day just get better and better!

Now, onto something else. I never know whenever I type a blog who all reads them, and if I will get any responses or not? It always seems odd to me what some readers will take the time to write to me about anyway. This particular email I got had to do with a blog I had written sometime ago where I told something funny that Deb had said. I won't repeat all of it, but she became alarmed at the smell of gasoline during a time that many people were pumping gas at a GASOLINE STATION!!! Anyway, this person (that as far as I know) I had never heard from before and do not know, questioned whether I was telling the truth or not because apparently several years ago he had heard a comedian tell a similar story about his own wife?

Although it might well be true that he heard some comedian tell a story like that... it doesn't change the fact that is exactly what Deb did. Besides, if I am going to tell a lie... I think I would have to care enough about whatever situation it is that I was going to lie about, and this certainly wouldn't be one of those situations. Also, while I do not believe that Deb reads anything I write, I do have other people who know me well (including at least one of my daughters and my own pastor) who often reads my ramblings on this blog. So, why would I lie about something that would not be important enough to lie about in the first place... and secondly, why would I lie about something that could be so easily checked?

It doesn't bother me even a little bit that someone would imagine that I might lie? Although I do not like lying... I have done it before. But, not with things that have to do with this blog... because for the most part (with rare exception) what I write is usually inane thoughts with little or no importance.

In case the person who wrote to me is reading this blog today, let me give you one more thing that Deb said that you can disbelieve as well (: This happened late in January 1994 and we had recently moved into a house on Chestnut Street in Jeffersonville, Indiana: we lived there for a few years. At a later date this is also the same house I was living in where I missed (perhaps) the most important phone call of my life ):

Anyway, that winter the cold weather and the heavy snowfalls broke many records. A few days earlier than the incident I am going to write about happened, my outside thermometer at our house registered -20 degrees Fahrenheit. (Officially for Jeffersonville that day set a record for -22.) Before I relate the story I need to explain two things. Regardless the weather, typically I do not dress in appropriate garb. And, ever since I was a kid I have had asthma. (Several times when I was young I would spend whole nights in St. Joseph Hospital sleeping under an oxygen tent.) I'm not sure why for me, but very cold weather has always been the hardest on me for breathing. (Perhaps this is true for all asthmatics, I don't know?)

I have now forgotten exactly why all three of my daughters, my wife and I were out that night... but it was -15 degrees and on the way home from wherever we had been I stopped at a gas station just off 65... we only had about a mile left to get home. Again, I'm not even sure what I was buying there but it had nothing to do with needing gasoline because I had parked directly in front of their door. Other than the lone clerk inside, we were the only people there. (Others probably had more sense than to be out in the extreme cold.)

The car I was driving was fairly new and I had never before experienced any problems. But, when I tried to start it... the battery light came on and it just “clicked.” I asked the girl inside if she could jump-start my car. She said she would but she had no cables. Usually I carried a kit in my trunk that had cables, flares, etc. but, I had loaned my cables to my next-door neighbor several days before and when he brought them back I had thrown them in the back storage room instead of putting them back in my trunk. Admittedly that was a pretty stupid thing to do, but I have been known to do things much more dumb than that (:

Deb and the girls were dressed in warm clothing but in that type of cold it doesn't take long before it gets almost unbearable. I waited in the car for a few minutes but no one was coming. So I said I was going to run home and get the cables and I would be right back. Deb tried to stop me by pointing out what I was wearing: tennis shoes, a light coat, regular socks, and no hat or gloves. You know, fairly appropriate clothing for being outside in freezing temperatures (: However, I was resolute and I opened the door and promised to the girls that I would be right back. Deb, by now, had worked herself up and she was mad. As I was closing the door I heard her shout, “Idiot! You're going to get freezer burnt!” (FREEZER BURNT... and she just called me the idiot!) Try having asthma, dressed in light clothes in very cold air... and laughing so hard you are bent over at the waist... now imagine how hard it was to get a good breath of air. I looked back inside the car and all three girls who are in the backseat are cracking up. Deb, realizing what she had said, but still angry: shouted, “You know what I mean!”

Every two or three minutes I would stop running to catch my breath... then I would think about what she had said and I would start laughing until it seemed almost impossible to breathe! It was a long trip up and back, but I did make it and I am very happy to report that to this day, I remain... un-freezer burnt (:

Last thing... there were several scenes in the movie I just watched which was very funny. I liked his facial contortions when he rubbed against the sweaty hirsute guy on the basketball court. (: Also, his dance moves, before AND after he learned how to salsa. The good part though was that Reuben ends up with Polly, the girl he was supposed to be with all along!!!

Perhaps all that it takes in life for things to turn out right is to eat a little food off of the ground (: